Saturday, June 20, 2009

2009 NBA MOCK DRAFT

This may go down as one of the worst drafts in history. I do expect there be some trade activity, mostly from teams that want to trade back or out of this draft. I do like this years crop of point guards though.

Barring trades here it is :

1. LA Clippers - Blake Griffin F Oklahoma

This is a no brainer for LAC (I hope). In a draft such as this Griffin is the safe pick.

2. Memphis Grizzlies - Hasheem Thabeet C UCONN

They could easily go with Rubio but Mike Conley picked it up last season and the Grizzlies think he is their PG of the future. They have time to develop a project such as Thabeet.

3. OK City Thunder - Ricky Rubio PG Spain

I cannot see Rubio slipping any further than this slot. Whether its OK City taking him or a trade develops. Rubio is the pick at # 3.

4. Sacramento Kings - Stephen Curry G Davidson

Assuming the Kings do not get Rubio, they take the next best thing : Stephen Curry.

5. Washington Wizards - Jordan Hill F Arizona

Wizards have a talented team but are looking for flexibility. Trading Jamison seems to be a lock so I'm going with Jordan Hill as the pick. Harden woould also be a very strong possibility if no Jamison trade is made.

6. Minnesota T'Wolves - James Harden G Arizona St

This would be a solid pick for a young team with a need for a scorer. The pieces are fitting for the T'Wolves, PG will be the focus next.

7. Golden State Warriors - Brandon Jennings PG Italy

Could be one of the steals of the draft. Jennings is not NBA ready but in year 2 or 3 the Warriors are going to be a force in the Western Conference.

8. NY Knicks - Tyreke Evans G Memphis

Upside pick here. Knicks are not in it to win this upcoming season so they can take a chance on Evans who may develop into a versatile PG/SG. He is not the Knicks # 1 choice at this point but they would be happy to have him slip to them at # 8.

9. Toronto Raptors - DeJuan Blair PF Pitt

Blair is a boom/bust type of pick. Toronto needs a banger down low and this is the best available at # 9.

10. Milwaukee Bucks - Jonny Flynn PG Syracuse

Jonny Flynn has risen up draft boards all season long. # 10 seems about right for a player who has some holes but his strength, speed and ability to take to the rim are huge factors in his rise.

11. New Jersey Nets - Tyler Hansbrough PF UNC

NJ is looking for a "beast". With Blair gone they reach for Hansbrough. I do not like the pick but I'm buying the rumor on this one. Credit to Chad Ford for the leak.

12. Charlotte Bobcats - James Johnson PF Wake Forest

MJ will be phoning this one in from the clubhouse after his second round of 18. Johnson will provide frontcourt help that will Okafor & Diaw especially.

13. Indiana Pacers - Jeff Teague PG Wake Forest

I think Teague is the pick and he'll be backing up TJ Ford until TJ's next injury. This pick will also allow the versatile Jarrett Jack to play more off the ball.

14. Phoenix Suns - Gerald Henderson SG Duke

Solid pick here for Phoenix. Henderson is not flashy but he brings defense, toughness, and some scoring ability to a team that has potential to make a deep run if the team stays in tact and everyone remains healthy.

15. Detroit Pistons - BJ Mullens C Ohio St

There is a promise in place for the Pistons to take Mullens here. This makes some sense to me but I'm not a huge Mullens supporter. He is a long term project who really needed another year at Ohio State. With this pick Detroit is accepting the rebuilding stage of their franchise. What a great run they had though.

16. Chicago Bulls - Demar DeRozen SG USC

DeRozen slips to # 16. He had a disappointing year with the exception of the NCAA tourney. Too many question marks are what's preventing him from going higher, the talent is there but can he put it all together consistently?

17. Philadelphia 76ers - Jrue Holiday G UCLA

I'm torn on Holiday. He is all over the place when it comes to scouts opinions. Is his disappointing one season due to UCLA's system? Is he the next Russell Westbrook? I was hoping he would return to UCLA and prove himself worthy of a top five pick, he'll get his chance in Philly instead.

18. Minnesota T'Wolves - Ty Lawson PG UNC

The rebuilding of the T'Wolves backcourt continues with the seasoned PG out of UNC. I like the pick to bring in an experienced player who should be getting major minutes right away. Injuries with Lawson are a concern but to me this is a solid pick.

19. Atlanta Hawks - Eric Maynor PG VCU

With Lawson gone Maynor is the choice here at #19. There is talk of resigning Bibby which would allow Maynor to play a bench role and not be expected to contribute right away.

20. Utah Jazz - Austin Daye F Gonzaga

Big mystery as to what your going to get from Daye. I think with the veterans Utah has in place this would be a good fit for the versatile although inconsistent Daye.

21. NO Hornets - Wayne Ellington SG UNC

Hornets need someone who can step up and score. Ellington will get plenty of open looks and should contribute immediately.

22. Dallas Mavericks - Earl Clark F Louisville

Dallas is a team in full on middle of the pack mode. I think this pick comes down to either Clark or Casspi. I'm going with Clark as he is more NBA ready right now. Let's not forget that going into the season Clark was projected to be a top five pick. This could be a steal at # 22 for a team desperate for young talent.

23. Sacramento Kings - Omri Casspi SF Israel

After filling their backcourt need with Stephen Curry the Kings turn their attention to another need, scoring from the SF position. Can he step up right away? Probably not, but an intriguing prospect for the Kings future plans.

24. Portland TrailBlazers - Darren Collison PG UCLA

For the record I think Portland trades out of this pick. For mock draft purposes PG is the direction I assume they will take if they do not make a trade. Collison who was steady his entire career at UCLA (except in big games) could be the pick here. I projected him originally in the second round as I feel that where his value is, a first round selection and guaranteed contract seems like a reach for him.

25. OK City Thunder -Terrence Williams G/F Louisville

TWill is a solid pick this late in the first round. He does a lot of things to help but does not stand out in one particular area. Why does OK City take him here? I think he fits the backup SG/SF perfectly on this young team and his defense should get him on the floor rather quickly. OK City is building and this is going to be a fun team to watch next season.

26. Chicago Bulls - Toney Douglas G Florida St

With Ben Gordon potentially leaving the CHI with the their second pick Toney Douglas is their man. Toney is a seasoned ACC combo guard who really improved his stock in his final year at Florida State. Center is also a need for the Bulls but no real options here.

27. Memphis Grizzlies - Chase Budinger SF Arizona

Chase finds his way into the first round and may help the Grizzlies in a bench role. They need scoring help in the second unit, Chase may slide into that role.

28. San Antonio Spurs - Derrick Brown F Xavier

The SF position is a concern for the Spurs and Brown may be able to come in and at least seize a backup role right away.

29. LA Lakers -DaJuan Summers G Georgetown

The Lakers Championship team will be looking for bench help. With the lack of consistency from Sasha Vujacic,Shannon Brown, etc. I would expect the Lakers to go guard or combo guard with this pick. Ariza may be bolting LA as well.

30. Cleveland Cavaliers - Taj Gibson PF USC

The Cavs are in need of another big man. Taj Gibson out of USC is the pick. Jonas Jerebko is a scrappy forward out of Sweden who may be able to help in a year or two but in year two will Lebron still be a Cav?

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